Unchained God
by 123GOHANZ
Summary: While mankind expanded out into the universe, he stayed. Not out of self punishment or fear of discovery once again. No...it was neither of those things. It was all tied to the sense of responsibility. He did all of this, he alone caused the city to fall. So he chained himself to that dead place. Waiting for the day he can redeem himself and rid himself of his sins...
1. Chapter 1

**Yo! 123GOHANZ here with_ another _fic. This time it's a full fledge crossover between Prototype and Mass Effect. I got not much words to say, so let's do this!**

* * *

Alex rushed as he tried to attach the nuclear device on the transport chopper. He cursed upon realizing he had less than a few minutes to get the nuke as far from Manhattan as possible. Fortunately for him the Reagan was already abandoned so there was no marine or Blackwatch left to hinder him. Not like they'd be stupid enough to shoot him while he was holding a bomb that could wipe them all out and the island.

Finally attaching the bomb, he quickly climbed into the cockpit. After doing a quick pre-flight check, Mercer was ready to operate the vehicle. Rotors spun rapidly and the helicopter rose. Pushing the pilot stick forward, the machine rode off towards the ocean, the darkness shrouding the transport vehicle. Mercer could practically hear every single tick the clock made despite the loud _hum_ of the rotors and it made him more in a hurry to drop the bomb off a soon as possible.

"_This is as good of a place as any._" Alex thought to himself, believing he was sufficiently far away from the city. He released the chain that was holding the nuke thus dropping it into the ocean. He reared his helicopter back and flew as fast as possible from drop point.

Suddenly he felt his helicopter lurch violently and could hear the roar of the bomb.

"SHIT!" Alex cursed, realizing he was caught in the explosion.

Suddenly there was pain. Excruciating pain. _Nothing_ could compare to what he was currently feeling, regardless of how brief it was. He FELT his body was being reduced to _ashes_. He let out a scream but he could not hear it, the roar of the nuke drowning out everything.

There was nothingness. He couldn't see, couldn't hear, hell he couldn't even feel _anything_. Was he dead? Did he finally meet his end in a form of humanity's greatest weapon? He should've been worried, after all, every single organism feared death. Yet here he was strangely relieved. As if a great weight, like a few Tanks worth, was lifted off his shoulders. Was it because he's been fighting for so long? It may have only been two weeks, but almost every second of his considerably short life was either spent stopping the infection or hunting down Blackwatch officers in hopes of finding the truth. Or was it because it required a freaking _nuke_ to kill him that made him relieved? If there was anything more impressive than needing a nuke to kill you, then Alex didn't know what that was.

He would've contemplated more about his life until he felt a nudge. Something was pulling at him. And that something brought out a strange **need** to _consume_. He tried to ignore it. Another nudge and the need grew stronger. Then another. And another.

Primal instinct took over as he finally lashed out. He could feel himself being rebuilt. Every tendril that danced around his body, all of biomass that shifted to recreate his form. It was a feeling all to familiar to Alex. It was a feeling that was usually associated to when he assimilated biomass. The darkness faded, his _reconstructed_ eyes now allowing him to see the world once more. He didn't even need to think to understand what happened. The nuke_ failed _to kill him. That brought out a snort from the shape shifting virus.

"Looks like I was wrong. Surviving a nuke far more impressive than dying from it." He told himself as he stuffed his hands into his pocket. He looked around and noticed the dozens of infected and non-infected corpses. The distant sound of gunfire and occasional roar of a HUNTER brought his thoughts back to his task at hand. "I may have broken the infection's back, but it appears my work isn't done."

With a weary sigh, he walked off towards the ruined city to end all the chaos he and his creator began.

* * *

It's been almost two weeks since Operation Firebreak and the infection was all but destroyed. Despite his obvious attempts to help the marines, and by extension Blackwatch(the thought nearly made him gag), American forces were still persistent in their attempts to kill him. However that didn't damper the psychopathic virus' mood. His work was finally done. A feeling of contentedness washed over him. After almost a month of constant fighting, it was over. His mission was complete.

He looked at the ruined New York Skyline. The hazy red that occurred during the infection was nowhere insight instead a clear blue sky was all that could be seen. Few of the towering skyscrapers had some holes in them, probably from when helicopters shot at him while he ran up their sides, and the occasional plume of smoke could be seen far off in the distance. If one were to disregard those two, most would've never thought that the city underwent a viral outbreak from hell. But any New Yorker would've noticed the change. The streets were virtually empty save for the brave few who ventured out from their home(which was now safe, Alex saw to destruction of _every _infected in the city) and the previously roaring nightlife became eerily silent. The city was dead...but he still lives.

* * *

_A petite young girl huddled herself closer to her makeshift fire more as the cold hard breeze of winter brushed by. She shivered violently when the fires faded from the wind. Despite her young age the girl cursed._

_"Damn it..." she muttered between her teeth. She looked around. There were a few people walking the empty streets, although most were of the lower class of society. "Fuck...no one will help me..."_

_She paused when she felt a hand gently rest on her head. She looked up to see a weirdly dressed man. His dark leather jacket covering another one which was brown in color, both of which layered on top of his partially unbuttoned shirt. The slightly ruined hood's shadow obscured her view of his face although she could make out the cool silvery blue eyes. They radiated a certainty of death, to the point the small girl almost thought she was looking at death itself. Yet it had a warm look to them._

_"Here, take this." He tossed a chip at her. She barely caught the item due to fatigue. She was able to catch what he tossed and examined it. In her small palm laid an Alliance System chip. It was worth 1000 credits, enough for a month's worth of food. _

_"Thanks mister...?" She looked up to find that he was gone_.

Jane M. Shepard woke up from her slumber. Heavy eyes made returning sleep oh so tempting, but the Captain of the _Normandy _had other duties to attend to; particularly the one about saving the Galaxy. The slightly stressed woman shuffled slowly towards the cabin's restroom.

A splash of cold water brought her senses back. She stared at her reflection. A crop of messy crimon hair rested on her head. She had a slightly angular face with a fairly small nose but having lush lips. Sapphire eyes met sapphire eyes as she continued to look at her reflection. Another splash.

"Come on Jane. Stop thinking about the past. You don't even know the guy's name..." She muttered to herself.

Wiping away the excess water with a towel she made her way to her console. Upon activation multiple alerts went off to catch her attention, most of which were from The Illusive Man. Messages from the Illusive Man meant dossiers. Dossiers meant more people for the mission.

Archangel didn't gather her attention and so did Solus. Not much use for a biotech weapons expert for now and a mercenary, greatly skilled or not, was not what she needed either. Jack and Okeer were clearly the best people to go to first. Jack would be simple enough, after all he's in captivity and The Illusive Man essentially "bailed" him out. Okeer was certainly different. Having a number of Blue Sun mercenaries as protection would definitely be troublesome to deal with...but he was a Krogan. A skilled and smart one too, unlike the majority of it's breed.

Another alert. A new dossier.

"Huh? A new one? Let's see here..."

**[Classified Information]**

**ZEUS**

**-Stealth specialist**

**-Explosive Weapons expert**

**-Weapons expert**

**-Combat Armor operator**

**-Air craft operator**

**Small amounts of information available about subject. Resides in New York Zero, USA, Earth. ****Has been known to combat entire squads of special forces accompanied by heavy armor/air support on his lonesome. Extremely dangerous, but acquiring ZEUS would certainly be an aid in the fight against the Collectors.**

Well that got her attention. She could handle a few guys on her own, but entire squads? Of special forces nonetheless? And with heavy armor? Who the hell takes armor head on? That were far cry from the mercenaries or slavers she was accustomed to fighting. And the name ZEUS...it resinated in her mind. She'd heard it before, not about the Greek god mind you, but an urban myth she heard during her days at Earth as an orphan. They say ZEUS was a monster who'd eat bad kids, but she never believed those stories.

Jane hummed as she thought of her next plans. She stared deeply at the monitor infront of her as if her next decision would very well end the galaxy.

_"Time to see if the ZEUS fellow is real." _ Having made her mind, the formerly dead Allaince soldier commed her pilot. "Joker, set course for Earth."

[Copy that commander...may I ask why?] came the voice of 'Joker'.

"We're going to recruit someone. Goes by the name ZEUS."

[Like the God or the monster?]

"...I hope it's the God..."

**Done! Yes, I know this is short as hell and it pretty much copies the basic idea of Hyliian's ****_Consuming Direct Control _****but there are obvious differences. **

**1) Mercer is joining right after the 2nd mission of the game of ME2**

**2) He stayed on Earth. **

**3) People don't know exactly what/who he is, but stories of demented creatures haven't left the ruined city of New York. And he's the most reknown one. So info about him won't always be true until he makes himself known.**

**Now to point out things that'll make this different: my interpretation of Alex and the history of Prototype.**

** My Alex isn't a gun-ho psychopath who kills people just because. That's something Mercer from the Manhattan Outbreak would do, but 200+ year old Mercer who's been stuck on Manhattan on his own accord? No. Doesn't mean he's not scary as hell. Piss him off and I guarantee you everything within his field of vision is gonna die(unless you're an ally...maybe). We can't have him not be intimidating, right? That's part of his charm! **

**Also the Mass Effect universe is going to be slightly affected by the events of Prototype. You may have noticed I said "New York Zero" instead of "New York City". That's one of the few subtle changes I plan to add. **

**Review/follow this and please provide support! Prototype was a fun game with a background that was truly interestng. Too bad interest in it declined after the second failed to provide the same sense of mystery of the first and out right butchered a character with so much potential. So I'm doing my best to keep that interest alive by providing a fic that you may just like :D **

**Ask any question if you have any!**

**Have a great day, 123GOHANZ OUT!**

**Ps: If you're having a hard time picturing FEM! Shep, look up Dana Mercer from Prototype 2(search for the colored version of the picture!) and just imagine the hair red...if you know anything about Prototype fanon, Alex cares about his sister greatly...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Didn't expect me to update so quickly did ya? Well, since it's the school year and I still have homework to do(which I'll start….eventually.), my family got wifi since some of my homework is done online/requires me to be connected. All though the connection is rather shitty.**

**Anyways, I'm happy for all the positive feed back that _Unchained God _has ****received. Seriously, in less than a week this got over 100 followers and 60+ favs! That's nearly half of _A Demi-Saiyan for a Familiar (_Followers wise. ADSFAF has 194 favorites. Let's beat that number shall we?) and that's my oldest and so far largest work!**

**Now to answer some questions **

**AeroSpeedNinja/Guess: Cant wait— Mass Effect weaponry will not change for this fic. I've already altered the history of ME by making the Outbreak part of it so I'm not gonna BS and give humans OP weapons even though we totally have the capacity to develop better ones. Also I'm not a gun nut so I'm not too great at describing weapons.**

**Sociopathic-Antichrist— My interpretation of Mercer is different because not only did he stay on Earth, he stayed at a hell hole. What my Alex saw in NYZ influenced him, just like how the canon Mercer was influenced by his world ****travels(and the same for Hyliian's Mercer). But instead of seeing selfish people, my Mercer saw mankind kind at its worst; struggling people helping out each other out just to survive. My Mercer saw despair and suffering, but also hope. Hope for a better tomorrow and hope that the children growing up there would have a meaningful future(Shepard, I'm looking at you!). Different from the canon Mercer who saw egotistical people with trust issues. Also he doesn't see himself as a predator. Just a creature who has the right to live.**

**Pedrofaria339—Here ya go! :D**

**Anyways, on with the fic!**

The Normandy tore through the vacuum of space in speeds surpassing that of light; the stealth vessel's current destination being Earth, humanities home planet. The Cerberus crew worked with much fervor to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Most were born on colonies so to visit the place of mankind's birth had much of the crew in an animated mood. However, one lone member was not in a such a similar state.

Shepard paced back and forth in her cabin, slightly worried about her current recruiting mission. After all she was chasing after a man with barely any intel. She didn't even know what ZEUS looked like!

She tried looking up any and all information about such a man who resided in NYZ on the extranet, but all she found were ancient forums about a random guy who fought the creatures of the Mercer Virus. The feats posted on the conspiracy forums were outright impossible. No one could lift a broken tank chassis and throw it with enough force to make it an impromptu ground-to-air missile. The authors of the posts even claimed that the guy could fight a Hunter with his _bare_ hands! The very notion was completely absurd! Worst of all was the claim that he had tentacles and how he'd drag girls back to infected areas and rape them, turning them to monsters. _Dear god_ the amount of hentai shown after the mere mentioning of tentacles was almost enough to make the battle hardened woman puke.

"Ugh! There must be some info in this guy! I mean, who could take on soldiers with tanks for support and win? Surely that person should've received _some _attention!" she raged screamed.

* * *

Alex stood on top of a large steel structure as he was prone to do. The on coming drivers(Pilots?) of flying vehicles that passed by him thought he was being crazy standing so close to the edge, as if he was going to perform suicide by jumping off such a great high. Now Alex _could_ do that and not get hurt at all, but that'd bring way too much unneeded, and mostly unwanted, attention if he were to attempt it. Besides, he had a perfect sense of motor control so he couldn't possibly fall—

"Achoo!" Alex sneezed.

Wait a minute? Could he _even_ sneeze? He didn't have any organs or muscle tissue to cause a sporadic thing such as a sneeze.

He noticed that the streets were slowly getting larger and felt the rush of air.

"Awwwww shit..."

* * *

Shepard sat back on her chair in front of the captain's terminal. She had to find something about ZEUS. She wasn't quite in the mood for searching for one man in a city of 2 million without any sort of info. So deciding to venture back into the horror that was the Extranet, the determined woman continued searching. She saw the same old forums and was apprehensive to click on the links, for fear of finding lewd images. She may be an adult, but damn….WTF 21st century Japan?! Things don't go in _there! _

Shepard shook her heads to rid herself of those thoughts. She can't get sidetracked, especially when Earth was only an hour away.

"Why is it always the same thing…..? Is ZEUS connected to the Mercer Virus outbreak?" She clicked on a link.

**[I swear to you guys, I saw him. I saw the Monster of Manhattan! He jumped off the hood of my car while I was driving on my way to work! Then I heard thumping and saw attack choppers chasing him! But this guy was fast, he was outpacing the choppers!] —TheChinksThatRages, 5/12/2008, 3:32 PM.**

**[What'd he look like?]—RadiatedSwine, 5/12/2008, 3:35 PM.**

**[IDK. Didn't get a good look. But I know he was wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. That's all I got. Seriously swine, when I say fast, I mean HE. IS. FAST. so I didn't really had much time to look at him.]—TheChinksThatRages, 5/12/1, 3:37 PM.**

**[Really? I saw someone like that walk around my neighborhood on multiple occasions. Funny thing is he doesn't seem to have any change of clothes. Always wearing a button up shirt under a white jacket(I swear it changes to brown sometimes!) and black leather jacket. But I won't blame a guy if he wore clothes like that. It's pretty damn stylish if you ask me.]—TheKillerElite, 5/12/2008, 3:40 PM.**

**[Why does everyone call him 'Monster of Manhattan'? Every time the military got into an engagement with him, I always heard the marines and those blackguys scream out "IT'S ZEUS!"(Note to self: do that around a marine and see the reaction) so I just call him ZEUS.]—KILLERWasp087, 5/12/2008, 3:46 PM. **

"Well that's interesting…so ZEUS is the Monster of Manhattan?" She asked herself. She heard of it, the 'Monster or Manhattan', everyone who lived on New York Zero did. But he, like ZEUS, was an urban myth. The idea that they were the same person was amusing to her. She scrolled down to continue reading.

**[I think the MOM is really Alex Mercer. I mean he's the guy who started the whole thing.] —Tyrannical, 6/12/2005, 3:50 PM.**

**[Mercer can't be the Monster of Manhattan. He fought against Mercer's creatures.] — TheChinksThatRages, 6/12/2008, 3:51 PM.**

**[Wonder if ZEUS is actually a super hero. I mean who fights those things and doesn't want credit?]— KILLERWasp087, 6/12/2008, 3:56 PM. **

**[Oh yeah, killing marines is totally super hero like(sarcasm). I mean really, I've seen MOM fight on multiple occasions and every time it was against the military it'd never let a single person survive. That thing is a phycopath! Bet it's the one who set off that nuke a couple weeks back, not Mercer.]—SuperSoldier117, 6/12/2008, 3:59 PM.**

**[Then MOM saved all of us. If the bomb went off near Manhattan, I'm pretty sure no one would be alive afterwards.] RadiatedSwine, 6/12/2008, 4:00 PM.**

**[It was all I ploy I tell you. It snuck on the Reagan and stole a nuke!] SuperSoldier117, 6/12/2008, 4:01 PM.**

The forum ended there.

While was certainly interesting to know that the myths she grew up hearing were indeed true, or at least had witnesses to claim it was, it didn't help Shepard much in her predicament. Unless the ZEUS she was searching for was really the Monster of Manhattan. But that didn't make any sense…..

"Wait a minute…." Shepard muttered out loud. She began thinking of the dossier the Illusive Man gave her. "'Has been known to combat entire squads of special forces accompanied by heavy armor/air support on his lonesome'. These forums say the same thing…..but if ZEUS is really _him_…..no that's impossible. Those events were over 200 hundred years ago. No human could live that long."

_"What if ZEUS isn't human." _a small part of her mind whispered. If ZEUS wasn't human, then everything would make sense. After all some Citadel species lived far longer than humans, namely the asari. But she doubted ZEUS was an alien. He was living on Earth, mankind's home world. Any alien would stick out like a sore thumb if they lived there. Also, the Mercer Virus Outbreak occurred a little over two hundred years ago, when humanities space programs were still in its infancy. No way alien contact could've happened then. Then that brought up a question.

"What are _you, _ZEUS?"

* * *

**September 16, 2008, 3 months after the outbreak**

Mercer. The very name filled every one in Blackwatch with dread. He could cut swaths out of entire task forces and come out without a scratch to show for it. Armor groups obliterated and strike teams gone from simply engaging him. Even the famed D-Code soldiers didn't want to encounter ZEUS. They've learned early in their deployment that despite their immense strength they didn't even hold a candle against the Monster of Manhattan. They were strong, he was stronger. They were fast, he was faster. They were hard to kill…..ZEUS survived a _nuclear_ explosion. Everything they could do, he could do so much better. It appeared like nothing in Blackwatch's arsenal could harm him; not even Bloodtox slowed him down anymore...

It was this fact that finally drove the newly appointed Colonel Rooks to seek new ways to contain ZEUS. He tried Blackwatch's tried and true doctrine of "shooting the fuck out of the target till it's dead" and all he got was stacking US debt in return. Throwing men at ZEUS was a waste of precious resources and if anything, his attempts to capture ZEUS was causing more damage than the Outbreak as a whole ever did.

"God damnit..." He cursed in frustration. Nothing seemed to work. He was losing men left and right and still hasn't even came close to capturing him. "At this rate we'll have to start hiring grunts who can't even hold a gun to replace our losses..."

"Sir, this week's report is ready." Lieutenant Clint Riley said as he entered his officer's office with a folder in hand. The Colonel looked up and chuckled solemnly.

"Thank you lieutenant, place it on top of my desk."

Riley nodded and placed the folder on top of Rooks' table. He did a quick salute before doing a perfect about face thus leaving the officer alone. Rooks sighed, he was weary already and reading reports was not what he needed right now. He eyed the slim folder that laid on top of his desk. Strange? Usually there were at least dozens of papers about military expenditure and causalities list.

"Well if it's so small I guess I could read it." Rooks reached out slightly to grab the thin folder. As expected its contents was scarce, the complete opposite of last's weeks report. Military expenditure was a whopping 980,000 US dollars, most of which were spent on fuel and ammo. To most that may have seem a lot, but to Blackwatch that was not even a drop of the bucket that was the USA's resources. Causalities were surprisingly low as well, only about 4 men injured, and the reports states it was all from violent survivors. A far cry from the usual 500 million spent and hundreds dead.

What was different about this week? He scanned through all the papers once again. There had to be a trend somewhere and he was determined to find the pattern. After shifting through the reports multiple times, the only thing they held in common with each other was the lack ZEUS.

"Riley, get in here. I have have some questions." the Colonel waited for a few moments before the lieutenant appeared.

"Sir, you have some questions for me?"

"Yes….tell me, how many operations did we have to capture ZEUS?"

"None this week, Colonel. Our forces has been tasked with protecting Gentek scientist and stoping the civilian scourge that get in our way."

Rooks hummed. It appeared that ZEUS was rather docile unless provoked. He could use this. While stopping any and all biological threats to the US and its assets were Blackwatch's mission, if ZEUS wasn't a threat, he technically didn't have to kill him. And seeing how he was given full reign of all Blackwatch forces in the area, he could always force soldiers to not attack unless attacked first….

"Riley, do we have a fix of ZEUS's location?"

"No, sir. Although we have some suspected areas. One is Saint John's Medical Center and an apartment complex on the south-west side of Manhattan near Times Square."

Rooks stayed silent for a moment. "I want two teams prepped and ready to move. I want you to find ZEUS. But do not engage. If he attacks you have my permission to, but outside of that, don't. I need to talk to him."

"Sir?"

"Just do what you're told Lieutenant. If my gamble pays off, then we'll have eliminated ZEUS as a threat."

* * *

Three long months. He has been in this city for three months and already the apex predator was starting to get bored. The barren streets below were littered with abandoned vehicles, probably from panicking citizens as they fled from Hunters or other evolutions of the infected, and the corpses that previously lined the sidewalk were all but taken and burned. The once filled city, with its teeming masses, was now empty save for the occasional military patrol that ventured into the island. Speaking of which…..

"Huh. That squad is getting awfully close to Dana's safe house…." The entity that was Alex told himself. Despite the calmness of his voice the near unshakeable being felt a small pang of fear. "No...They couldn't have found her…."

However the self reassurance did not prevent the feeling of dread that washed over him. The ever so slightly paranoid viral entity eyed the squad of Blackwatch troopers with much scrutiny. Every move they made he took note of. They walked through the streets single file, riflemen up front and covering the back and officer in the middle. The white wash clothes made discerning commanders and officers from grunts so easy that even Alex questioned the efficiency of such a system. Not that he'd complain. Knowing exactly who he wanted to consume without the need to consuming _everyone _first made combating the military much easier for him.

"CHECKMATE, this is CASTLE, we've reached the designated area. No sign of ZEUS anywhere." The officer talked to the walkie talkie strapped onto his vest. He stood still for a moment before replying. "Copy that, CHECKMATE."

"Sir? Permission to speak freely?" The Blackwatch trooper, Alex knew his name was Jefrey or 'Jeff' as a large number of Blackwatch soldiers inside of his mind told him, behind the officer asked. His voice was gruff and sounded filtered.

"Granted." came a curt reply. Alex couldn't help but notice the amount of distain in his voice.

"Why are we patrolling this specific section of the city? The Red Zone is in a completely different area. This place is very close to a green zone after all."

The officer stayed quiet as if struggling to find the right words. He came out with a bitter sounding reply. "Because this is the place where ZEUS has been spotted on multiple occasions. Command believes its base of operations is nearby…."

For the briefest of moments the entire squad, with the exception of the CO, stopped. It required the hundreds of Blackwatch personnel inside of Alex to even _notice_ the fault in their steps. However, years of discipline instilled within each trooper allowed them to quickly return to their original pace.

Alex tensed slightly from his perch. If what the man said was true then they knew Dana was within the area. He contemplated on his next actions. He could just kill them but that would probably alert nearby units. They were spaced out so they definitely had the opportunity to call in a strike team if he didn't end them fast enough. Another con would be the confirmation of Dana's safe house location. A squad suddenly goes missing in the same area where ZEUS is suspected to be at? Very suspicious if you asked him. On the other tentacle, he could _not _attack them. But they were actively seeking out Dana and that was something Alex did not like….**AT ALL**. However before he could make up his mind, the officer continued to speak.

"We've reached the suspected apartment complex. I want a sweep of the building. If you find ZEUS, do _not_ engage. We're not here to capture ZEUS."

The soldiers looked at each other, rather confused by the command. They _weren't _trying to kill the person they were literally trained to kill?

_"That's new…"_ mused Alex. They _always_ tried to capture him before. Why not now?

He took notice of how they were about to enter the building. Deciding to throw caution to wind he leapt from his skyscraper he stood on and pulmetted to the Earth below. The air brushed by him, his form accelerating from the high drop. He landed on the pavement with enough force to create a small crater, sending pieces of debris flying and a couple of nearby cars pushed back by the sheer power of the shockwave produced. Slowly getting up from his fall he eyed the soldiers that were searching for him. The Blactwatch troopers aim their rifles at him, clearly caught by surprise by the Monster of Manhattan's sudden appearance. It took every ounce of Alex's will to fight the urge to jump at them, claws brandished and digging into their flesh. However, unlike Alex, the soldiers couldn't help but act on instinct and opened fired.

A dark ooze not unlike tar danced on Alex's skin. The first few rounds ripped right through his body causing Alex to jerk. However it didn't matter to him. His armored form was nearly complete. 5.56 rounds bounced harmlessly off the armor(skin?) once he was fully covered in the hardened biomass.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE! I SAID. HOLD. YOUR. FIRE!" the officer ordered his men. Realization came upon the soldiers that Alex wasn't bothering to attack and slowly the lowered their rifles.

The CO reached for his walkie talkie, however he never let Alex out of his sight. "CHECKMATE, we've targeted ZEUS…..he's standing right in front of us, orders?"

Alex could sense the panic in the man's voice. He couldn't blame him. They just witness him be torn apart with dozens of bullets yet he was still standing, not damaged in the slightest. The officer undid the straps of the walkie talkie and tossed it to the viral monster. Alex caught without even looking, eyes on the soldiers in front of him as well.

Raising it to where his ears were and he spoke, his voice sounding rather warped, "Hello?"

[T_his is Colonel Rooks of the USA's First Biological Warfare Command. I have a proposition for you._]

**Please write a review if you liked this or not. I always welcome constructive criticism, it's what helps me become a better writer.**

**Oh and sign the Prototype 3 creation petition, 123GOHANZ OUT!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, 123GOHANZ here with a new chapter. I will say this right now, this chapter is _very _short (1.7 k, excluding ANs). ****I just feel drained. Doing all nighters for homework is not fun. So yeah….I'm just sluggish right now. If the chapter seems dull, then you can attribute it to that. I may just return and redo this entire chapter if this get's reviews complaining about length and content. **

**Anyone got tips to increase writing stamina? I've noticed that most of my works tend to only be 2k long. I want to be able to write 5 k updates! That way the wait feels worth it. **

**darkfinder: SPECTREs are the Council's special forces. And since Shepard has been the only human in ME history to achieve that status, I doubt a SPECTRE would go to Earth. Especially since Mercer's a "humans only" problem….for now.**

**Dur'id the Druid: I think they still do. IDK. I'm not forcing you to do the petition. It's all up to you.**

**DecrepitSoul: You read my mind…. as for why he randomly sneezed, it was because of mutations. I was gonna try to explain it during the chapter but I felt like it would have been forced in. So I just left it out and am telling you this now. Also, you didn't come off as rude. The point of Constructive Criticism is to criticize faults in a story like plot holes or grammar issues. You were doing what I asked of you. So thumbs up!**

**LordGhostStriker: Yup pretty much.**

**Vorax: Jack is still a girl. Shepard just believes her to be a guy cuz of her name. Jack is more commonly used as a man's name. **

**If you're a guest, please use a name(doesn't mean you have to create an account)so I can address you if you have questions. **

"Awwww shit..." Alex cursed. Air whipped against his form as he grew closer to the ground. The people below haven't noticed him just yet, but he had a feeling lady-luck was bound to screw with him.

***Thud* **

And that would appear to be lady-luck. How "fortunate" that a flying car had just intercepted him...if 'intercepted' meant getting hit by a speeding vehicle. There was a surprised screech and silver-blue eyes looked up to see brown ones filled with panic. A slew of curses left the driver's lips and all the while Alex sighed; getting hit with a car was not fixing his already not so stellar day. At least it couldn't get any worse, right?

As if fate disagreed, the driver, unable to see due to Alex, accidentally rammed into another vehicle. The sudden change in momentum threw the Blacklight avatar off and towards a glass paned window. Alex easily had one of the brightest minds that had ever graced the surface of the Earth, dare he say he was the brightest, so it didn't require much thought for him to figure out a high density object traversing at moderate speeds would easily shatter glass.

As predicted he tore through the window, sending fragments everywhere. He didn't even grunt, he was used to high speed impacts, so crashing into a delicate material such as glass wasn't even so much a bother. What was a bother though was the people crowding around him.

"Oh my god! Is he okay?"

"I'll get the med kit!"

"I think he's dead. He's not breathing!"

"Oh shit!"

"Wait his hand just twitched!"

Alex groaned. Not out of pain but one of annoyance.

"HE'S ALIVE!"

"The fuck?!"

"Someone do something!"

"Hold up, I'm calling the paramedics—"

Paramedics? Yeah, no. Medicine and Alex do not mix. Alex's body bolted upward startling the group that surrounded him. Some cursed in surprise, some jumped backed, and one person's eyes lulled back before she fell to the floor, fainting. Slowly he got to his feet. He stood as if he wasn't just struck by a 'car' during a free fall before being abruptly thrown into a building. The group, completely dumbfounded, had no idea what to do. Unfortunately for them Alex did. He couldn't afford any witnesses.

His hands began to reform, the digits elongating and hardening, turning into blades. The black leather jacket replaced by black tendrils with pulsating red veins. All froze at the sight except for one.

"Oh my god! He's real!" A man screamed in horror. He wanted to make a break for it, to run away from the monster that stood in front of him. But that was not to be as the man felt a piercing feeling at his abdomen. Looking down, he noticed the blood gushing out of a wound. He couldn't even let out a scream before being sliced in half, the assimilation process beginning soon after.

Claws brandished, Alex let himself loose on the small group. One tried to fight him, but lacking the speed of a Hunter or D-code, the man's attempt was for naught. He was torn to pieces before he could even launch his first punch, which Alex doubted would even harm him in anyway. The rest however were smarter than their violent companion and tried to flee. But no one could run from the him. In a matter of minutes the place became disheveled, it being the only sign of attack.

Having done the deed, Alex sighed. "I hate civilians casualties..."

"Who the hell are you?!"

Alex looked up to see a pair of security guards. One was older, roughly in his late 40s or early 50s if the grey streaks in his hair and small number of wrinkles he had were any indications. The other was far younger, easily in his early 20s. Alex saw their eyes trace over to the fallen woman; let it be known that Alex _can _be merciful. Next he saw their eyes gaze on his deformed arms. A mix of horror and hatred flashed in their eyes. Drawing their weapons they aimed at him.

"FREEZE!" the younger man shouted.

"Great….just my luck."

He strolled over to them, unintimidated by the drawn weapons. The younger guard shouted "I SAID FREEZE!", but Alex cared not. If they shoot, he'd eliminate them with extreme prejudice. Although he'd prefer things to _not_ go violent.

"Look I—" a gunshot rang. A small hole was now present on his left knee. The younger man shot him. Tendrils netted themselves over the injury and in seconds the hole was no more. "Alright then…"

Grain sized metal flew out of the muzzles and struck the Monster of Manhattan.

* * *

Jane walked through the bustling streets of Manhattan. People of all races(technically just one race: Homo Sapien) walked down the sidewalks of the great city. It was a far cry to the desolate, dead place it was just barely two centuries ago.

Moving through the crowds was a rather difficult affair for the former orphan. She may have grown up here, but it was mostly in the ghettos and poorer sections of the city she spent her Manhattanite life in. Still, at least she was able to move in relative peace. No one bothered her for being the "Legendary Shepard".

She continued to walk until she stumbled into a peculiar sight. NYPD cars were parked in front of the middle of the street, blocking entrance to a 'small' 8 story building. Curious, she walked up to the line of officers.

"What's going on?" she asked as she approached a line of officers.

"Sorry ma'am but I can't disclose that information. Please step back." a female cop told her.

"What? Why not? What's going o—" she was interrupted by the echoes of gunshots. Some people screamed and the officer whipped her head to face to the building. Shepard had to fight the need to instinctively duck behind cover.

"What's going on in there?!" another officer shouted to his ear piece. "Hello? Hello?!"

Suddenly the doors burst open. Two men came rushing out of the door which was being held open by what Shepard assumed to be the squad leader.

"Get out! Get out! Hurry the hell up!" an armored man ordered a small group of men, a twinge of panic in his voice. Some blood, _fresh_ blood, adorned his armor.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Oh fuck, it's _him_!" one of the men cried.

That single word caused a everyone to freeze. Shepard gave a worried glance to the group. Who was 'him' and why did they just become nervous? Suddenly everyone began to move once again, but this time with different intentions; leave the premisses _immediately._

"Dispatch, target has been identified as ZEUS. I repeat, target is—" however the man stopped once he noticed Jane sprinting for the entrance. "Hey! Get back here! IT'S NOT SAFE! Shit! Someone stop her!"

Shepard made no attempt to stop her sprint. This was her chance. A cop decided to intercept her…nothing a body tackle can't fix. Throwing the man to the ground, she quickly got up and ran into the building. The men stayed silent.

"What should be do…?" one of them said, breaking the silence.

"…..Leave her be. We follow protocol. _No one_ enters this building, you understand? If you spot ZEUS leaving, leave it him be. We don't need a repeat of what happened 7 years ago…"

"You sure Sarge? I mean the woman—"

"Do as you're told. If you follow the orders the letter and he _may_ just not kill all of us."

* * *

**September 16, 2008, 3 months after the Outbreak.**

[_I have a proposition for you_] The voiced crackled a bit, but was clear nonetheless.

Alex held the walkie talkie to his ear but refrained from talking. However after a few moments, he figured that the man speaking to him was expecting an answer.

"What do you want?" the reply sounded cold and filled with malice.

[_I see you want to get to the point. Fine by me. I want you to stop attacking Blackwatch assets: Gentek scientist, Blackwatch troopers, and marines. Go crazy on the civvies, but not on my guys._]

Alex scoffed. Was he serious? "And why should I?"

[_Because I'm tired of wasting men and resources trying to capture you, "Mercer_". _Blackwatch's mandate is to capture/eliminate biological threats to the US. You've shown me that you're capable of _not_ being the threat General Randal made us believe you were…_]

"Why should I ever trust _Blackwatch_? You all try to kill me."

There was a laugh. It was dark yet filled with amusement. [_That's the beauty of this deal, "Mercer". You stop attacking us, we stop harassing you. Hell I'll even let you leave Manhattan._]

Alex paused. If this was true, then he could almost all of his problems solved. Except for one.

"I'll stop…..but I want something else in return."

[_If it's in my power then fine, shoot._]

"Dana Mercer. I want her to have access to leave the city."

[_What?_]

"You heard me. I want her to leave this city."

There was a pause.

[_Easy enough. Although I must ask why you'd want….your "family" to leave._] Rooks inquired. He was certainly not expecting this.

"This place has turned into hell, Colonel Rooks. The outbreak may be over but that doesn't mean there's no danger. You've seen the survivors. They've become violent, killing innocent to ensure that they get the supply drops. They're desperate and I fear for Dana's safety. Get her out of this city and you could consider me done attacking Blackwatch."

[_Very well. I'm a man of my words, "Mercer" and I'll see to it your "sister" gets out of here…Now that you've agreed, let's talk into detail about our "deal"…._]

**I was going to keep going but I'm just tuckered out…if you want to know the details of the deal I'm willing to tell you, but it may contain spoilers. Review/follow/fav for faster updates….**

**Stay awake in school, 123...gohanz….*yawns* out….**


	4. Life of the Party? Nah, I'm the Death

**Holy shit...I think I found some "proof" that Prototype and ME actually share the same universe. During my search for info on Prototype(for accuracy's sake) I stumbled on the Easter Eggs page of the wiki. Apparently Blackwatch is so badass that they're using tech from 2186 C.E.(or is it the other way around?) Look it up on the Prototype Wiki if you want to. And the funny thing? It's actually true too! I recall that moment while playing P2!**

**Alright now for news. Again, HOLY SHIT! We've passed the 200 mark on followers and are at 153 favs! So close to beating A Demi-Saiyan fora Familiar. Come on peoples! CLICK THAT FAV BUTTON!**

**The One and Only MUDKIP: General GOHANZ sending Strike Team. Chapter-4 inbound! ETA, after reading this!**

**Mildweekcomic: Thanks for the advice. I'll see if I can be more descriptive. **

** .reads: Sadly I never finished the first game. My sister kicked my Xbox when I first got the trilogy for a cheap bargain(30 US dollars seemed like a worth while investment) and as a result the disc never worked afterwards. After a few attempts to get it to run failed, I just jumped in to ME2. So yeah. Ashley's alive. Also, this takes place in ME2, when Ashley wasn't given the proposition yet.**

**Cyricist001: Sorry, my bad. Like I said I initially wrote it when I was tired. I may return to redo the chapter and maybe the first two as well.**

**RadiatedBiomass8: Blackwatch became a bunch or cartoonish goons who suddenly became less competent in Prototype 2. The only Blackwatch soldier deserving of my respect was Starnes. Everyone else? Meh, didn't care. As for Alex, I _can _see how he'd come to the conclusion of assimilating all life on Earth, although it felt like a wash out ending for him. I mean really? You're gonna end the world cuz the girl you liked shot you? WTF Alex?**

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say I don't own the rights to either games? I mean, I'm a guy on the internet writing _fanfiction. _If I owne dthe games, I'd never 'green light' Prototype 2 unless they changed the story all together and gotten a better writer(Some one like Laluzi. _God_ his/her fanfics are the best Prototypes fanfics EVAR!)**

**I might just redo chapter 3...**

**Chapter 4: Life of the Party? Nah, I'm the Death of it.**

* * *

**September 20, 2008.**

_"YOU WHAT?!"_ Only one person had the _balls_ to try and dare scream at the death incarnate, Alex Mercer, and ironically enough said person had no male reproductive organs whatsoever.

"Dana, just listen—"

"Listen? No, you listen to me Alex. You made a deal with _Blackwatch_," she placed heavy emphasis on the clandestine military organization. "The group that's literally been hunting you and I down since the very beginning! What were you thinking?!"

"Dana, this is for your own good!" Alex said, voice slightly raised.

Dana was not deterred. She knew her brother, how he had mysteriously reformed in a span of a couple days...both mentally and physically. He would never try to harm her.

"Jesus fucking christ Alex! I'm not a kid! I handled myself just fine during the outbreak. I can handle a couple of punks with bats!"

"I fought the infected off before they could even get close!"

"Yeah and look at what happened. I got kidnapped!"

"_Exactly_! Even when I was right next to you, I still failed to protect you." Alex sighed, irritated at the whole ordeal. He was elated when his "sister" woke up from her coma nearly two months ago, but as time went on stress began building on the man-eating virus. Every moment he was away from her, when she wasn't under the watchful eye of Ragland, meant there was a possibility she could be harmed. "Look, Dana I know you don't like the idea but this is necessary. For every second you stay here, it increases the chances of you getting hurt."

Alex's voice became softer as he continued. "I can't always be there for you. You know this. And I know you don't want me hovering over you all the time. So the only way I know you'll ever be safe is if you have a Blackwatch trooper escort you out the city."

It was Dana's turn to sigh. She couldn't stay mad at him too long, especially if he was doing something with her best interest at heart. Reclining onto the couch, she decided to at least inquire more of the deal. "So who is it?"

"Huh?"

"Who's gonna be my escort? Hope it's not one of the basic psychopath that makes up the core of Blackwatch."

Alex was about to protest against that claim. Despite their actions and the fact that they were formerly his enemies he begrudgingly held some respect for the black clad soldiers. They had questionable morals, true, but they did everything believing that what they were doing was for the greater good. They were willing to lay their own lives on the line for their cause and Alex knew this for a fact. They weren't psychopaths, they were misunderstood professionals.

"Earth to Alex? You there?" Dana asked. She tossed a cushion to capture her brother's attention.

The pillowy object landed deftly against Alex's face. "Huh? Oh right. The escort... Rooks wasn't specific but he said he has a new recruit who'll be your guard. I think the man's name was Starnes."

Dana snorted bringing a small smile on Alex's face. "Starnes? My god I can already see a dweeb from the name! I swear a guy like that would never get laid."

"Maybe he could be your type?" He jokingly added.

"HA! Like I'll ever date a Blackwatch soldier. Would rather go out with a Hunter. At least those things got muscles!"

"They got super soldiers..."

"Hmmmmm...maybe. But if their skin tight suits indicate anything, them seem to be lacking..._arsenals_ for pleasure."

"..." Alex just gave a her a flat look.

"Twas a joke, Alex. So, anything else?"

"Errr...Yeah. He said I could leave as well...but I don't feel like it. I dunno how to explain it. I feel like I have to stay in here..."

"Maybe you should go travel and soul search. It must be weird and confusing to be...you. No offense. Maybe seeing the world will get you to know yourself better?"

Alex chuckled. "Soul search? Yeah, no thanks."

Uncomfortable silence reigned. There were no blaring horns or the sounds of bustling streets. No noise whatsoever...complete utter silence. It made the Blacklight avatar feel awkward.

"You think they'll try and trick you?" Dana suddenly asked. It took Alex a few moments to reply.

"Hopefully not...but they'll pay if they even think about it."

"Sheesh Alex. Anyone every tell you that you're creepy as fuck?"she said teasingly.

"No. Usually people run away."

* * *

**Present Day**

"They're running away. Good." He watched as the police force began to flee.

The people cowered behind their desks for fear of what the man was about to do. Usually he preferred to have the citizens of New York Zero be ignorant of his existence, but now Alex didn't really care. For two hundred years he stayed here. Watching the city grow back to life and saw the damage done by the Outbreak whisked away. People didn't need him...they feared him. So he always hid himself from the public eye, the populace never knowing of his good deeds. He's killed civilians to hide his identity yes, but he's helped so many others. Orphans who laid unmoving in the middle of the sidewalk, men and women targeted by would be bandits months after the Outbreak, and other simple actions.

"ZEUS!" Someone called out, feminine voiced. How he hated it. That name was no name, it was a designation. A way to dehumanize him despite him knowing he wasn't human at all. It made him feel less than human even though he knew he was something more. He was evolution personified!

He turned to face the direction of where the voice came from. The other occupants of the room did the same wondering what sane woman would ever purposely look for a man like him. He was expecting a police officer garbed in SWAT gear wanting vengeance. So he was surprised to see a woman with an uncanny resemblance to his already deceased sister. It was as if he was looking at her clone; the way her hair parted to the side, her steely blue gaze filled with determination, and way she carried herself with such confidence even within his presence. If not from the red tint of her hair, Alex would've thought it truly was Dana.

"Wait..._you're_ ZEUS?" The woman asked apparently dumbfounded. He wouldn't blame her, tales of his existence preserved the idea that he was a monster, wicked and evil. One would not expect, in the words of one marine, 'a hoodie wearing punk'.

"Yes. I'm...ZEUS." The word left a unsavory taste in Alex's mouth. Call him a monster, a terrorist, a killer, and he wouldn't mind. Those were all true. But 'ZEUS'...Alex held some hatred to the 'name'.

The woman continued staring. Her face switching between shock, horror, and elation. Wait? Why would she be happy to see him?

"I can't believe it..." She said, her voice barely audible. Her next sentence even softer, "You're him...you're my savior...

Savior? Was she delusional? He's killed hundreds if not thousands of people, so he was certainly not a saint. Sure he tried to not terrorize the people of NYZ, but he was far from a savior.

"You saved me as a child. Giving me enough creds to last weeks when I was on the verge of death...it was enough to put my life in order. I saw you again once...you helped out another orphan in the neighborhood..."

Alex wouldn't let his guard down. Just because they've had some history, one he couldn't quite recall, doesn't mean it'll do the woman any favors if things were to get heated. "What do you want?"

She did a complete 180 degree turn. Instead of a shocked woman there now stood a professional soldier. Her eyes hardened and glared slightly at him. If he was human he would've been disturbed. But the Outbreak and the days after was harsh on him. He saw things even _he_ wanted to unsee.

Shepard steeled herself. If he truly was like anything the old forums stated he was, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him. All she had was her sidearm for a weapon and doubted the handgun would serve her much in a fight. She needed to be a diplomat.

"I am Jane Shepard, System Alliance commander...and currently under the 'employment' of Cerberus. I have a proposition for you."

Alex just eyed the woman. He had a strange feeling of deja vu, but dismissed it immediately. "And what would you want of me?"

"I want you to join my squad."

His mind began to process that information...He nearly laughed as a result. _Him_ join a squad? If anything he dissembled them. But ever the serious man he was he kept a stoic face. "Give me a reason why I should."

"Humanity needs you."

"I'm no human, I have no obligation to help if that's all you have. If you knew anything, you should've figured that out by now."

"I...'know' you're not human. Human's don't use tanks as ballistic weapons."

Alex wanted to interject and say that he in truth used infected bodies as his main munition for distanced combat. Oh well, she didn't need to know that.

The woman, now named Shepard continued. "I don't care if you're human or not. The collectors are abducting humans from colonies and are helping the Reapers."

Alex just looked at her. Reapers? Collectors? The hell were those? None of his WOI, web of intrigue, nodes gave any sign if what they were. A new species of aliens maybe?

Noticing the confusion within the virus, Shepard decided to elaborate. "The collectors are a species of aliens that live in the outer fringes of the galaxy. Not much is known about them. Same goes for the Reapers. But I do know that they're a race of artificial intelligence who wants to wipe out all intelligent life!"

'Sounds like a plot from a sci-fi movie or game' Alex mused. He was skeptical whether to woman named Shepard was telling the truth or not.

"But I know of a way to stop the Collectors. We can defeat the Reapers! Just join me!"

"No."

That response puzzled Shepard. "No? Wha-what? The galaxy as we know it could very well change and you're gonna say 'no'?"

Alex wouldn't admit it but the way she spoke to him, with almost no fear in her voice, greatly reminded him of his sister. Seriously, was she Dana's great grandchild?

"I'm not willing to leave my home for something as simple as stopping aliens from abducting humans from colonies. My obligations are to this city and this city alone. I'm responsible for this city."

"ZEUS," Alex cringed slightly at the name, not because of the name itself but the fact that Shepard looked nearly identical to Dana. The thought of her calling him that with disgust was unbearable to the man eating virus. "What are you talking about? There's nothing to be responsible about."

"...you know of the Outbreak, right? The Mercer Virus?" He was met with a nod from her. "I caused it. I released the virus by mistake."

Som people gasped, Shepard included, at the revelation.

"My actions led me to involuntarily place this city into chaos. Thousands who didn't need to be killed died in those four weeks. Many of them innocent bystanders wondering what was going on. I eventually stopped it...but it was too late. New York City was gone. Renamed New York Zero, a testament to my failure."

Silence. Alex doubted Shepard would wish for him to join after telling her the truth. Or part of it.

"Do you want this city to fall to chaos?"

Alex was not expecting a response. Especially that. "What?"

"The Reapers are a threat, ZEUS. They'll destroy humanity and everything they stood for, this city would be just another target when they get here. Once that happens, I can assure you the death toll, the suffering endured during the Outbreak would pale in comparison." Shepard said. "I need a team, ZEUS. And my 'employer' thinks you can turn the tides of battle. If you truly feel responsible for this city and all the life in it then join me. If I fail my mission, humanity as a whole faces destruction."

"..." Alex remain quiet. What if the girl was telling the truth? No one in there right mind would even think of ever hiring him unless they were absolutely desperate. And from the sound of her voice, Shepard partially was. This...this could be it. The moment he was waiting for. The day he could save this city before harm befalls it. "...Fine. Fine. I'll go. But if these Reapers and Collectors turn out to be a hoax, you're really gonna _regret_ it."

**There ya go. The chapter was about 2.2k, slightly longer than the previous chapter. Still working on learning how to do 5k but considering that not much occurred during this chapter and it was at OVER 2000! words, I gotta say I'm improving :D**

**Review if you have question. Fav/follow if you liked the story. And PM me if you want to say anything to me! As always, constructive criticism is always welcomed.**

**Hope you enjoyed the read, 123GOHANZ OUT!**

* * *

**Hey guys, 123GOHANZ here and I'm just gonna add this in because I have to vent. You can skip this and go to the next chapter(if it's out) immediately if you want. Now there's someone on fanfiction who's been blocking reviewers because said person disagrees with the aforementioned reviewer. What bothers me this is not the action of blocking but rather the reason behind it. Even I got blocked and all I did was try to be friendly, or at least try to come off as such, while I provided reasoning of why I disagreed. Yet he(or she) presumed that I hated him/her because of my actions. **

**Now that doesn't bother me much, what people think of me doesn't matter to me at all. But what does matter to me is that person's lack of integrity as a writer. He/She couldn't handle the criticism on her work and chose to purposely ignore people who criticized it due to the works controversial nature. As writer, fanfic or not, it is wise to always listen to every review, even if you don't agree. It's just proper fanfiction community etiquette. Blocking should be used for people who spam pointless(not stupid. Those are acceptable because they still serve a purpose) reviews or hate messages! **

**That's all I got. I can't really stay mad for long and I kinda wasted all my frustration on writing this chapter, which was all done in one sitting. Also returned the US so I'm pretty happy about that. Okay for reals this time, 123GOHANZ OUT!**


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